Bearing Your Share of Jobsite Washwater Disposal

Canadians take their environmental stewardship responsibility seriously, especially when it comes to protecting their fishing industry. While the stringent anti-pollution laws were initially enacted to deal with other industries, enforcement agents now apply them to the simple act of washing down a ready-mix truck chute.

Ron Lankester, vice president and general manager of Ocean Construction Supplies' Concrete Division in Vancouver, British Columbia, realized drivers needed a simple washdown system. Lankester gathered a team of managers and drivers to find a solution that would be relatively inexpensive and easy to use. The team developed the Envirowash Chute Rinse System.

The system consists of a bucket that attaches to the truck's chute and a pump that pumps mix water back into the drum. The bucket has a screen that retains aggregates as the mix water is poured through it.

A mechanic should be able to install the kit in about an hour, says Marv Barry, Ocean's maintenance manager. Also, at less than 60 pounds, it doesn't add much weight to the truck's payload.

Little additional driver training is required, and Ocean managers report that most drivers welcome the system. Company rules mandate that all drivers use the system on each load.